Monday in Holy Week 2020
[Is. 42:1-9; Ps. 36:5-11; Jn. 12:1-11]
Grace to you who are one in Christ. Amen.
My chosen, in whom my soul delights; (Is. 42:1b)
The beloved, with whom I am well pleased. (Lk. 3:22b)
I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,
…
I have given you as a covenant to the people,
A light to the nations,
To open the eyes that are blind,
…
My glory I give to no other, (Is. 42:6a-8a)
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
Which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
A light for revelation to the Gentiles,
And for glory to your people Israel. (Lk. 2: 30-31)
We could be forgiven for having confused the verses from today’s reading from the prophet Isaiah with some very familiar lines from St Luke. They sound so very similar. Especially Isaiah, often referred to as the fifth evangelist, has a gospel-feel to much of his text. There’s Gospel in the Old Testament too.
Jesus’ baptism as well as his presentation in the Temple are very intimate moments, which nonetheless are very public. They’re pivotal moments which many seem to ignore, and yet their effect ripples through the world.
At the very moment the dove descends on Jesus, the moment the Father touches his Son, caresses his Son, onlookers were watching from the river banks. Perhaps some were curious -maybe a little apprehensive- about what they had just witnessed, and it had a lasting impact, changing their lives in radical ways; perhaps others just shrugged their shoulders and accepted that what had happened was probably beyond them, never giving it a second thought, barely remembering that day.
When Jesus is presented, in that small group of four adults and an infant, dozens of people are scurrying in and out of the Temple precincts, perhaps stopping for prayer or observing the daily battery of sacrifices, doing business, meeting others. In all that humdrum of first century Jewish society in Jerusalem, our little group huddles together, in silent reflection, in restraint excitement, in deep faith. Likely the majority of folks there that day never gave them a second glance.
We recognise both these scenes from a baptism: a small, intimate group gathering around the font, a larger congregation in a circle around them, almost as a protective shield; a happening reminiscent of Jesus’ baptism and of his presentation, flowing into one single event, small and yet public.
There is no such thing as a private baptism, even if it happens in a private ceremony.
At baptism, we’re clothed with Christ’s death and resurrection, we literally put on Christ. It doesn’t get any more intimate than that. Our life, our being is covered, is wrapped up in Christ. So, when we go out and meet others, they meet him too. When we’re happy or sad, he’s happy or sad with us. There is no instance nor place where we’re abandoned, where Jesus isn’t there.
When the dove descends and the voice speaks out, it’s a very personal, individual experience, and yet it’s very public, because we cannot be Christians just for ourselves or just for other Christians. We wear Christ as a part of us, but also that others will encounter him too. “For the nations.” Baptism is the free gift just for us which lifts us out of our confinement and makes us part of the whole. We’re brought to the Temple, to into the public sphere. As St Theresa reminded us, we’re his body, his hands and feet, his eyes looking at the world.
That’s why the verse “In the world not of the world.” cannot be an excuse to isolate ourselves from society, from culture, from what’s happening around us. Being ‘not of the world’ means that as Christians we’re meant to be something else, but being something else doesn’t mean being something better, something exclusive or lofty, something untouchable.
After his baptism, Jesus went into the wilderness to pray and fast and struggle with his own faith-life. When he returned, he went and healed two blind men in Jericho. “To open the eyes that are blind.”
All of us spend time in our own wilderness, because we chose to, because circumstances force us, because we believe we should. But none of us can stay there forever, our baptism won’t allow for it. After all, we’re God’s covenant to others.
The beloved, with whom I am well pleased, whom I have called in righteousness;
A light, prepared in the presence of all nations, a revelation to all peoples, and a glory for all peoples.